MIDDLE PARK HISTORY GROUPNewsletter 8 October

2013

By Max NankervisIn our last edition Max looked at the use of towers in domestic architecture and the various ‘fantasy’

buildings found throughout Middle Park. In this issue Max highlights some of the more unusual terraces

and commercial buildings.

the masses was most often constructed as a row of terrac-es, and while there are many terrace clusters in MiddlePark, for the most part they (along with most free-standinghouses) are generally single story. However, a couple ofexamples stand-out, not only because they are two (ormore) stories, but for other reasons. Richardson Terrace at183-93 Richardson St is one such example. Firstly, while itis generally two stories, the two central houses (of 5)incorporate an attic lit by a dormer window. Secondly, thebuildings are unusually plain, or restrained in fenestration,being of red brick broken only by some highly glazed tilesset in the facade. The third significant point is that the

terrace incorporates a shop house on the corner.While the incorporation of a shop at a corner end of aterrace is repeated elsewhere (see below), this one isprobably the largest development in Middle Park. Thisterrace might be compared with the more conventionalterraces at 93 and 110 Canterbury Rd, either side ofArmstrong St.Another unusual terrace set can be seen at 15 Harold Stwhere a ground-level colonnaded verandah is surmount-ed by an upper level projecting room, capped by a heavyparapet and pediment, rather than directly above thefront room. Unusually, the houses have a relatively smallset-back from the street.

TERRACES

Photograph: Rose Stereograph Co. State Library of Victoria

183-193 Richardson St

Victorian domestic architecture for the

MIDDLE PARK HISTORY GROUP Inc. PO Box 5276, Middle Park 3206Email: middleparkhistorygroup@gmail.com Website: www.middleparkhistory.org

TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS.Today we probably do most of our food and household goodsshopping in large supermarkets to which we more often thannot drive to. But in the 19th, and up to late 20th century,especially before the advent of motorised personal transport,our shopping destination was more likely the corner shop orlocal shopping strip consisting of a clutch of small shops.Consequently the inner urban areas such as Middle Park hadnumerous corner shops, although they were not always on acorner. But the corner site was preferred, and more logical, asit attracted more passing trade.While in many cases these shops were built singly, separatefrom the adjoining houses, in many cases the developer in-cluded a shop as part of a terrace row, especially if the terracesite extended to a corner. Moreover, these shops almostalways included residential quarters, either at the rear, if itwas single storey, or more commonly above, if it was two

storied. The terrace at 197 Richardson St is one such example,while the corner of Richardson and McGregor Streets has twosuch shops, diagonally opposite each other, the one on thesouth-west corner having a separate, polychrome brick ter-race adjoining it, as well as separate accommodation abovethe shop.But while most of these shops were built as part of a terrace,there are also several examples of where a shop (or shops)was built at the front of an existing house utilising the frontgarden space. A particularly interesting example is the shopwhich was the boot and shoe repair shop of Sam Brown at 87Canterbury Rd probably constructed around 1895, a few yearsafter the house, which appears to date from 1891. The work-ing machinery of the business is understood to have beendonated to the National Trust as an example of a working shoerepair shop. Interestingly, many of these shops still exhibitsome now fading advertising signs, giving a hint of the natureof their former business, such as the add-on shop at 111Wright St, which was probably built in the 1920s, a few yearslater than the house behind it.

When built, and well into the 20th century, most, if not all of theseshops would have had verandah projecting out over the footpath,and although in almost all cases these verandahs are removed,with the only evidence existing being some cut-off steel beams atfirst floor level. Few of these verandahs survive, although theformer shop at the corner of Boyd and Page Sts remains, as doesthat of the pair of weatherboard, ‘add-on’ shops at 86 and 87Canterbury Rd (one of which was Sam Brown’s tiny shop). But akey word here is ‘former’, because in almost all cases these formershops are now converted into purely residential accommodation.

But, as well as the ‘corner shop’ at the end of a terrace, therewere several areas where a ‘shopping centre’ was establishedand a row or terraces was built. While Mills St has a variedcollection, the most architecturally interesting group is in Arm-strong St between Canterbury Rd and Richardson St, especiallythe somewhat elaborate polychrome brick rows on the northernside of Armstrong St.Another architectural ‘oddity’ can be seen in the mid-block pairof Victorian style shop houses at 275 Richardson St. While theseare now, and have been for many years, converted to purelyresidential, their notable point is the narrowness of the total site,each shop being narrower than the usual 16.5 feet (1/4 chain).Just why this site had an irregular width is a mystery, but they areprobably the narrowest purpose built shops in Middle Park.

Corner of Boyd and Page Sts.

15 Harold St

111 Wright St

Polychrome brick shops in Armstrong St

In our next edition Max Nankervis deals with bothindustrial and multi-storey buildings

MYSTERY HERITAGE OBJECT

What building does this relate to? Who opened the building?What is the building used for now?

Shop and dwelling on corner of Boyd and Page Sts

Iron lace work is an iconic image of Melbourne. Visitors to Melbourne are charmed by the iron lace which is the defining marker of Victorian architecture. Residents of this city tend not to ‘see’ it as it is so integral to the Melbourne landscape, but Alison’s series of articles

will have you exploring the fascination of Iron Lacework and noticing the plethora of different designsto be seen throughout Middle Park and beyond

What is iron lace?

Cast Iron is often incorrectly called wrought iron, but thereis a difference. Wrought iron, which has been used innumerous European countries in all kinds of decorativeways over hundreds of years, is a pure form of iron whichcan be worked by a blacksmith, hammering the red hotmetal into ribbons that can be bent to the required design.Cast iron uses pig iron, the product of the initial smelting,which contains various impurities, mainly carbon, and ispoured into the mould while molten. Although cast iron isbrittle and cannot be bent or worked, it’s economy of scaleensured cast iron became a cheaper and more popular formof decoration. A design pattern in wood was transferred to ametal mould so that thousands of replicas could be madeinstead of individual pieces made by the blacksmith.

Decorative iron work in Australia was originally importedfrom England but packed very carefully into holds, (notused as ballast as is popularly believed). Pig iron, was usedas ballast until its production became economically viablein this country. These early imports were later copied locallyand in time, Australian designs were created and registered,the Australian designs being more flamboyant than theirEnglish counterparts.The style of cast iron design changed with the influence ofthe times. The first cast iron in Australia was simple indesign and reflected the simpler styles of Georgian Englandas that was what was familiar to the early settlers. Later onVictorian and Edwardian influences crept in, as can be seenin Middle Park from the elaborate decorations of houses inCanterbury Road and Beaconsfield Parade, to the simplerfriezes on single storey latter houses, just as in Australiadesigns of castings vary from city to city.The factors that determined the use and style of cast ironwere

ƒ the period of the settlement of the colonyƒ the architecture currently in vogue and the influ-

ence of fashion once the style was establishedƒ the discovery of goldƒ the wealth of the community andƒ the establishment of local foundries

CAST IRON DECORATION IN MELBOURNE by Alison St John

Why was decorative cast iron used?

It was used as a protective balustrade and as decorationand was a relatively inexpensive way of decorating thehouses and cottages which started to appear in largenumbers following the Gold Rush. The lure of the hope offinding gold had attracted people in their thousands toVictoria and the population of the colony had soared from77,340 in 1851 to 410,766 only six years later. By 1857the peak of the Gold Rush was over and a building boomof unprecedented proportions was about to begin.

Memory and nostalgia play a big part in the story of castiron in Australia. The need for protection from rain andsun in this harsher climate led to the notion of verandahsand covered balconies and invoked memories of the ironwork balconies of Georgian England. In the ‘MelbourneScene’ Grant and Serle express the view that ‘the citizensof Melbourne were unconsciously countering the lonelinessof a small community in a strange land by recreating thefamiliar. Their spiritual ties to the land of their birth werefirm and lasting’, and so houses gained familiar forms ofdecoration which were adapted to the conditions of thenew land. On small houses it was a frieze and on the moreaffluent houses it was an ‘apron’, or ‘iron petticoat’ on theverandah and balcony.

Example of earlier cast iron on balcony and later cast iron on verandah

Wrought iron - balcony railing, Milan, Italy C16th.

Simple cast iron frieze, bracket and fringe

Simple frieze and brackets

SOURCES: Victorian Heritage: ornamental cast iron in architecture, E Graeme

Robertson, 1960, Ure Smith: Australia's Iron Lace, Brian Turner͕�ϭϵϴϱ͕�'ĞŽƌŐĞ��ůůĞŶ�ΘലUnwin: Ornamental Cast Iron in Melbourne, E Graeme Robertson,, 1972, Routledge:Cast Iron Decoration. A World Survey, E Graeme Robertson and Joan Robertson 1977,Thames and Hudson, Melbourne NEXT ISSUE: Explores cast iron development and usage

The Middle Park HistoryGroup

is supported byThe City of Port Phillip

Forthcoming meetings: AGM 7th October 2013, general meeting: 2nd December 2013

Committee meetings: 4th November 2013

Meetings are held in the Mary Kehoe Centre, 224 Danks St, Albert Park at 4.30 pm.

Notification will be sent to you prior to the meeting listing agenda items

Jane Nigro (centre) with Diana Phoenix and Meyer Eidelson.

At our August meeting, guest speaker Jane Nigro presented a stimulatingaccount of the many successful ways the Malvern History Society hasdeveloped historical programs. Jane is a founding member of the MalvernHistorical Society and has served as president, vice president and secre-tary for more than 40 years. There were numerous exciting programs Janehighlighted that could be excellent for our group to adopt.

Executive Committee:

President: John Stirling

Vice President: Meyer Eidelson

Secretary: Alison St John

Treasurer: Sonya Cameron

Public Officer: Diana Phoenix

Rosemary Goad

This high pressure 153 km pipeline ran from Altona to Western port wascommissioned in 1972. The 24 inch pipeline ran along RichardsonStreet. The construction works were massive, causing access problemsand disruption to local residents. Problems were encountered whenexcavation works went below the water table.

Last Edition Mystery Object

KNOW YOURSTREET NAMES

Sir James Brown Patterson (1833-1895) was the young-est son of a district road-inspector at Alnwick, Cumber-land, England. He was educated at Alnwick andemigrated to Victoria in 1852. He worked on the gold-fields and then took up farming for about four years.Subsequently he opened a cattle and slaughtering busi-ness at Chewton, near Castlemaine, and became Mayorof Chewton. In December 1870 he was elected memberfor Castlemaine in the legislative assembly, and held theseat until his death. He was minister of public works inthe first Berry ministry (1875), held the same position inBerry's second ministry (1877 -1880), and was ministerof railways in his third ministry (1880 - 1881). Pattersonwas a leading member in these cabinets, and as ministerof railways endeavoured to check political influence be-ing used in connection with railway extensions. He hadmuch to do with the bringing together of Service andBerry which resulted in their coalition government. Hevisited England, and returning in 1885 sat for a time inopposition to the Gillies government. He joined thisministry in April 1889 as commissioner of trade andcustoms, and later for short periods was postmaster-general and vice-president of the board of land and worksand commissioner of public works. He took a strongstand for law and order during the maritime strike in1890.

He became premier in January 1893 and a fewweeks later the colony was plunged into thegreatest financial crisis it had ever known.Patterson endeavoured to increase the produc-tion of primary products by placing people on theland and attempted many government econo-mies. These were largely responsible for the de-feat of his government at the 1894 election. Whenthe Turner ministry came in Patterson led theopposition, and as Turner also began to econo-mize Patterson steadily regained his position asa leader. He was by now the father of the houseand the most picturesque figure in it. He con-tracted influenza, and died after a short illness.He was created KCMG in 1894.

Extract with thanks to Dr Rob Grogan, from hisbook:

Colonels, Colonials and Councillors: The Origin

of Street Names of South Melbourne, Grogan, R;

Cygnet Books, 2007.